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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Inspirational
- Subject: Fantasy / Dreams / Wishes
- Published: 12/04/2020
Cindy's snowball.
Born 1951, M, from Wilmington NC, United StatesAuthor's Note: This is the first of my Christmas Stories for this year. A snowstorm hit the city where I was born earlier this week...and that triggered childhood memories. And that, dear reader, made this story pop into my mind...what could be...may be.
*****
Cindy was five. It was two weeks until Christmas. Her brother was going to be seven years old on Christmas Day. Her little sister was her twin, but younger by two minutes. Mommy worked two jobs since Daddy got hurt at work. Cindy knew that there was no money for Christmas this year. Just like last year. The Church would bring them a delicious Turkey Dinner…in styrofoam containers. It didn’t look very Christmasy to Cindy. So she prayed.
*****
Cindy took her dollar and carefully put snow around it. Her little sister followed her example. Dale, her big brother put two dollars in - plus his Magic Quarter. The Quarter he found when he was three. It was his first money. He thought it was Magic. When Cindy’s Dad got hurt, Dale tried to give the Priest his Quarter to get God to let his Daddy live. The Priest said that because Dale offered all he had, the price was already paid. He could keep the Quarter.
Dad lived. So that Quarter was Magic. All three of them kissed the quarter and put in the snowball surrounding all the money they had in the world.
Then Cindy went to work.
*****
It didn’t take long for word to get out. Three little kids were pulling a sled through the deep snow. On the sled was a snowball with the edges of a few dollars sticking out…and the glint of a quarter if the sun hit it. They were going house to house with a little sign that said:
“Mommy is always working, Daddy can’t get out of his wheelchair, or move his arm. We haven’t had a Christmas since I was born. We put all our money in a snowball. If we can get you to put some money into our snowball…well, maybe it will turn into a snowman. Filled with enough money to get Mommy to have only one job. Then she can be home for Christmas …and at night. A toy would be nice too…but we just want Mommy home, and Daddy to get well.
We want our money to snowball!”
*****
The NEWS came. Neighbors came. Strangers Came. People sent “snowballs” with tens, twenties, even hundred dollar bills via FEDEX or UPS. Amazon sales of envelopes and boxes capable of keeping snow cold went through the roof. And still it snowballed. People from places in the world that have never seen snow: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, India, Sri Lanka, Singapore…islands in the Pacific so far away that there wasn’t a snowballs chance in hell of snow falling. But they sent their money, their prayers, or gifts in dry ice.
Europe, Russia, China and the Baltic Countries…used their own snow to put American Dollars inside to ship to Cindy. Gifts that weren’t money, poured in wrapped in Snowman Colored Paper. Iceland and Greenland sent gifts in boxes packed with bits and pieces of Glaciers, or ice. For two weeks before Christmas people sent snowballs with money. Gifts wrapped in boxes filled with snow. And there was more…
*****
A Lady in Green Scrubs showed up on the Third Day. She knocked on Cindy’s Door. She asked to speak to Daddy. She did. She was the Doctor in charge of the Local Rehabilitation Hospital. Daddy started therapy that afternoon. Free. All the Therapists donated an hour…by flinging a snowball at Cindy’s door, and then coming inside.
A big burly man and his just as big and burly sons showed up with a snowman in their truck. Cindy asked why? The big burly man said to take the gloves off the snow man, go inside the house, and touch everything that had to be fixed. Then take the glove back out to the snowman …they would fix everything that the glove touched. When they were done, only then would they put the snowman in her yard.
So bathrooms were remodeled. A few walls were either taken down, or moved. Hallways were made wide enough for a wheelchair. Counters were set up for both people who could stand, and people who could only sit. Sinks were redesigned, so was the shower in the Master Bedroom. Cindy and her little sister got their own beds! Two days before Christmas, the big burly man, and his two burly sons, took the snowman down from their truck. It towered over the front yard. Cindy herself, put the glove back on…and put back the coal eye that had fallen during the move. She named the Snowman: Hawaiian Ice.
People came from miles around to pour different color cool aid on the Hawaiian Ice Snowman. And to put a dollar (or more) in snowballs littering the base of Hawaiian Ice.
*****
Some Artist Lady from France, drew a Winter Seen with the Hawaiian Ice Snowman in all his purple, red, blue, green, yellow, orange and white glory. That became the Logo for the “Snowball Children”. Cards, hand drawn by School Children from all Fifty states, and more than One Hundred Countries arrived daily …so many that the Post Office had to set up a “Snowball Center.”
Cindy’s Mom quit both jobs. She joined hands with three other Woman who also worked in the Financial Field. Together they set up a Non-Profit called: “Snowball Inc.“
The World had been so generous that they could fund a Foundation with all the “extra” donations. They called that foundation: “Cindy’s Snowball.” From one lonely snowball on a sled pulled by three young children who just wanted their Mommy home at night, and on Christmas, the whole thing snowballed into an avalanche of all that is good about Humanity.
More than a third of the gifts, money, and skills donated to help out…came from folks whose Faith did not include Christmas. No small miracle in and of itself. That first Christmas Cindy’s Snowball gave her family, and sixteen other families in similar situations…a Christmas to remember. The next year…over a thousand. From then on…it snowballed.
The first snowball, with Cindy’s dollar, her little sisters dollar, and Dale’s two dollars and his Magic Quarter…is in a see though glass box in the Lobby of their Headquarters. People come from all over the world to see it in its original state. With the edges of a few dollars sticking out of the packed by little hands snow. A quarter glints if the light hits it right.
People smile and touch the glass…and they leave a dollar (or more). They leave marveling, shaking their heads. Sometimes saying out loud:
“A snowball. Who would have thought.”
Cindy's snowball.(Kevin Hughes)
Author's Note: This is the first of my Christmas Stories for this year. A snowstorm hit the city where I was born earlier this week...and that triggered childhood memories. And that, dear reader, made this story pop into my mind...what could be...may be.
*****
Cindy was five. It was two weeks until Christmas. Her brother was going to be seven years old on Christmas Day. Her little sister was her twin, but younger by two minutes. Mommy worked two jobs since Daddy got hurt at work. Cindy knew that there was no money for Christmas this year. Just like last year. The Church would bring them a delicious Turkey Dinner…in styrofoam containers. It didn’t look very Christmasy to Cindy. So she prayed.
*****
Cindy took her dollar and carefully put snow around it. Her little sister followed her example. Dale, her big brother put two dollars in - plus his Magic Quarter. The Quarter he found when he was three. It was his first money. He thought it was Magic. When Cindy’s Dad got hurt, Dale tried to give the Priest his Quarter to get God to let his Daddy live. The Priest said that because Dale offered all he had, the price was already paid. He could keep the Quarter.
Dad lived. So that Quarter was Magic. All three of them kissed the quarter and put in the snowball surrounding all the money they had in the world.
Then Cindy went to work.
*****
It didn’t take long for word to get out. Three little kids were pulling a sled through the deep snow. On the sled was a snowball with the edges of a few dollars sticking out…and the glint of a quarter if the sun hit it. They were going house to house with a little sign that said:
“Mommy is always working, Daddy can’t get out of his wheelchair, or move his arm. We haven’t had a Christmas since I was born. We put all our money in a snowball. If we can get you to put some money into our snowball…well, maybe it will turn into a snowman. Filled with enough money to get Mommy to have only one job. Then she can be home for Christmas …and at night. A toy would be nice too…but we just want Mommy home, and Daddy to get well.
We want our money to snowball!”
*****
The NEWS came. Neighbors came. Strangers Came. People sent “snowballs” with tens, twenties, even hundred dollar bills via FEDEX or UPS. Amazon sales of envelopes and boxes capable of keeping snow cold went through the roof. And still it snowballed. People from places in the world that have never seen snow: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, India, Sri Lanka, Singapore…islands in the Pacific so far away that there wasn’t a snowballs chance in hell of snow falling. But they sent their money, their prayers, or gifts in dry ice.
Europe, Russia, China and the Baltic Countries…used their own snow to put American Dollars inside to ship to Cindy. Gifts that weren’t money, poured in wrapped in Snowman Colored Paper. Iceland and Greenland sent gifts in boxes packed with bits and pieces of Glaciers, or ice. For two weeks before Christmas people sent snowballs with money. Gifts wrapped in boxes filled with snow. And there was more…
*****
A Lady in Green Scrubs showed up on the Third Day. She knocked on Cindy’s Door. She asked to speak to Daddy. She did. She was the Doctor in charge of the Local Rehabilitation Hospital. Daddy started therapy that afternoon. Free. All the Therapists donated an hour…by flinging a snowball at Cindy’s door, and then coming inside.
A big burly man and his just as big and burly sons showed up with a snowman in their truck. Cindy asked why? The big burly man said to take the gloves off the snow man, go inside the house, and touch everything that had to be fixed. Then take the glove back out to the snowman …they would fix everything that the glove touched. When they were done, only then would they put the snowman in her yard.
So bathrooms were remodeled. A few walls were either taken down, or moved. Hallways were made wide enough for a wheelchair. Counters were set up for both people who could stand, and people who could only sit. Sinks were redesigned, so was the shower in the Master Bedroom. Cindy and her little sister got their own beds! Two days before Christmas, the big burly man, and his two burly sons, took the snowman down from their truck. It towered over the front yard. Cindy herself, put the glove back on…and put back the coal eye that had fallen during the move. She named the Snowman: Hawaiian Ice.
People came from miles around to pour different color cool aid on the Hawaiian Ice Snowman. And to put a dollar (or more) in snowballs littering the base of Hawaiian Ice.
*****
Some Artist Lady from France, drew a Winter Seen with the Hawaiian Ice Snowman in all his purple, red, blue, green, yellow, orange and white glory. That became the Logo for the “Snowball Children”. Cards, hand drawn by School Children from all Fifty states, and more than One Hundred Countries arrived daily …so many that the Post Office had to set up a “Snowball Center.”
Cindy’s Mom quit both jobs. She joined hands with three other Woman who also worked in the Financial Field. Together they set up a Non-Profit called: “Snowball Inc.“
The World had been so generous that they could fund a Foundation with all the “extra” donations. They called that foundation: “Cindy’s Snowball.” From one lonely snowball on a sled pulled by three young children who just wanted their Mommy home at night, and on Christmas, the whole thing snowballed into an avalanche of all that is good about Humanity.
More than a third of the gifts, money, and skills donated to help out…came from folks whose Faith did not include Christmas. No small miracle in and of itself. That first Christmas Cindy’s Snowball gave her family, and sixteen other families in similar situations…a Christmas to remember. The next year…over a thousand. From then on…it snowballed.
The first snowball, with Cindy’s dollar, her little sisters dollar, and Dale’s two dollars and his Magic Quarter…is in a see though glass box in the Lobby of their Headquarters. People come from all over the world to see it in its original state. With the edges of a few dollars sticking out of the packed by little hands snow. A quarter glints if the light hits it right.
People smile and touch the glass…and they leave a dollar (or more). They leave marveling, shaking their heads. Sometimes saying out loud:
“A snowball. Who would have thought.”
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Martha Huett
12/13/2020Talk about a feel-good story. What a wonderful way to start my morning. Thanks Kevin!
ReplyHelp Us Understand What's Happening
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Gail Moore
12/07/2020Wow, that was a whole lot of Christmas love snowballing everywhere.
Absolutely awesome Christmas story. :-)
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Kevin Hughes
12/07/2020Thanks Gail! And Merry Christmas ...this year is going to end! And that is a present we all have been waiting for. LOL. Smiles, Kevin
Help Us Understand What's Happening
JD
12/06/2020Absolutely WONDERFUL inspirational Christmas story, Kevin! I loved it! THANK YOU! :-)
ReplyHelp Us Understand What's Happening
Kevin Hughes
12/13/2020Well, you continue to humble me with all these awards. They just make my day!
Smiles, Kevin
Help Us Understand What's Happening
JD
12/12/2020I'm glad I could provide you with an idea for another great story, Kevin! Happy short story STAR of the day! :-)
Help Us Understand What's Happening
Kevin Hughes
12/07/2020Hey Jd, I just posted my latest Christmas Story...and the idea came from YOU! So thanks for that. Smiles, Kevin
COMMENTS (4)